The practice of yoga, which goes back over 6000 years, not only improves the body but also the mind. While the various asanas or postures are the core of yoga training, the breath is its soul. It’s been said that if you can breathe, you can practice yoga. A fundamental aim of yoga is to help you learn to calm your mind through your breathing.
The regular practice of yoga will make you intimately acquainted with yoga. You’ll learn proper techniques for breathing which will produce relaxation and stress relief and also help you to achieve better posture.

Our minds tend to wander; thinking of the future and the past constantly. With yoga, you’ll train yourself to consider the present – where we are, where our bodies exist. The practice of yoga through breathing techniques helps you to draw your thoughts inward and release all of your worries and tensions.

One of the energizing aspects of yoga is that it teaches you the ability to be deeply aware of the present moment, at the same times as you are letting go of the worries and concerns that can cause stress and illness in your body.

By practicing yoga, you will learn to breathe consciously which will make your mind attentive and focused on your practice. You will be able to maintain your thoughts in the present, sweeping aside worries and concerns.

Yoga has many breathing exercises which combat tension and bring a balanced mental state – to begin with, try this exercise.

* Sit or lie down in a comfortable position and become attuned to your normal breathing patterns.

* Be aware of your breath while you inhale and exhale, counting to four each time. Do this several times.

* Next, make your inhalations and exhalations last for five counts each.

* Then increase the count to 6 for each inhalation and exhalation. Become aware of your body – make sure that it is relaxed.

* Continue this way until your inhalations and exhalations reach 9 counts. If this is causing you any discomfort, drop the count back down to more comfortable number for you.

* Keep bringing your mind back to your body to check to see if there is any tension anywhere in your body. If so, attempt to relax that part of your body.

* Whatever number of counts you reach, continue breathing with these long breaths for several rounds, then stop counting and breathe normally for 10 rounds.

What you can gain from this exercise – as you can from a number of other yogic breathing exercises, is the capacity to still your mind and relax your body through mastery over your breath. With some practice, you will become an expert at this technique, able to achieve a state of relaxation any time you are under stress and feeling tense.